Battery system for marine propulsion unit

• US 5,233,282 A
• Filed: 02/07/1992
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Sanshin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Iwashita, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US07/832,444
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 320/7, 320/15, 320/16
• US Class Current: 320/117
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/20 DC electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/19 Switching between serial connection and parallel connection of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B63J 3/02 from propulsion power plant
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/42 for ships or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors

Abstract

A battery system for use in connection with a pair of marine propulsion units, one of which is powered by an internal combustion engine that drives a generator and the other of which is actuated by an electric motor. A pair of actuating batteries are in circuit with the electric motor and the generator and are adapted to selectively provide power to the electric motor or receive a charge from the generator in response to a main switch which is also used to control the starting of the internal combustion engine. A pair of contact relays, responsive to the main switch, are used to adjust the circuitry of the battery system so that the actuating batteries are either connected in parallel in the charging state or connected in series in the actuating state.

Claims

1. A battery system comprising a first propulsion unit having an internal combustion engine and a generator driven by the engine, a starting battery in circuit with the engine for starting the engine, a plurality of actuating batteries, a second propulsion unit having an electric motor operated by said actuating batteries, and relay means for selectively connecting said actuating batteries in parallel for charging said actuating batteries from said generator and connecting said actuating batteries in series for operating the electric motor, and a switch for controlling said relay means and for controlling the starting of the internal combustion engine.

2. A battery system as recited in claim 1, wherein said switch is moveable between a first and a second position such that when said switch is in the first position said actuating batteries are connected in parallel and when said switch is in the second position said actuating batteries are connected in series.